The pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut are one of the few pros to have completed the Career Grand Slam.
The duo won the 2015 US Open, the 2016 Wimbledon, the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Australian Open to make an indelible mark in modern-day tennis. Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut have clinched seven ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles to go with an ATP Finals title in 2019.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut were on the verge of adding another title to their kitty at the ATP Lyon, but the No. 1 seeds were denied the glory. The French doubles stars were beaten by No. 4 seed Hugo Nys and Tim Puetz 6-4 5-7 10-8 in the final.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut were expected to breeze past the pair of Hugo Nys and Tim Puetz. If at all, the challengers were expected to give the French duo a run for their money, but Herbert and Mahut were always firm favourites to add another feather to their cap.
However, as things turned out, the match went to three sets, with the pair of Hugo Nys and Tim Puetz having the last laugh.
Herbert and Mahut did well to fight back after Nys and Puetz converted the first break point of the match in the ninth game as the French pair claimed their first break of the match in the second game of the second set, but Nys and Puetz struck back in the fifth game.
Herbert and Mahut broke in the 12th game to force a decider. They began the tie-break with a 2-0 lead but then gave away five consecutive points to lose the match.
It was in 2019 that the pair shared a brilliant moment on the court, after winning the Nitto ATP Finals doubles title. The No. 7 seed pair at that point beat No. 5 seeded Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus 6-3 6-4 to lift the trophy.
"Thank you for sharing the court with me, for having so many enjoyable moments and giving me so much joy when I am with you on the court. You played an unbelievable final, so thank you for that," Herbert had said to Mahut after the Nitto ATP Finals.
The victory was even more special as Herbert and Mahut split for a couple of months earlier in the season before rejoining forces at the Cincinnati Masters in August.
